OPINION
The Chronicle i
617 N. Liberty Street
336-722-8624
WWW.WSCHRONICLE.COM
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Ernest H. Pitt
Donna Rogers
Elaine Pitt
Publisher/Co-Founder
Managing Editor
Business Manager
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Our Mission
The Chronicle is dedicated to serving the
residents of Winston-Salem and Forsyth County
by giving voice to the voiceless, speaking truth
to power, standing for integrity and
encouraging open communication and
lively debate throughout the community.
The bigotry,
ignorance
and insanity
of Carson
We had almost forgotten about some of the insid
ious statements Dr. Ben Carson, who is running as a
Republican for the presidency of these United States,
had been making since announcing his candidacy.
Having already forgiven him for being a Republican,
we assumed that he would at least embrace his own
culture in seeking the political pinnacle of public
service.
Not so. Dr. Carson has denied everything related
to being black, including the suffering of his own
kind for 400 years in this country. We had no idea
that Dr. Carson would even deny the cruelty and
dehumanization of black Americans. He has been
quoted saying that for the last 150 years, there has
never been a question in this country about race. We
beg to differ.
Ever since the first Africans were unloaded in this
country on the shores of Jamestown. Virginia, blacks
have been viewed as less than human. Many
Caucasians feel that way today. Many of our laws
stem from attempts to control the minds, hearts, free
dom and equality of African-Americans.
Laws were created after the Civil War that pro
hibited blacks from standing in one place for longer
than 10 or 15 minutes lest they be charged with
"Ever since the first Africans
were unloaded in this country on
the shores of Jamestown,
Virginia, blacks have been
viewed as less than human."
vagrancy and sent to jail. Practically any white per
son could arrest a black person during those times
and turn them over to a magistrate, a police officer or
judge or just about anybody where they were imme
diately sentenced to serve time working in the coal
minds owned by U.S. Steel. For the most part, that
would have been the last anyone saw of that person.
Dr. Carson knows this and yet he continues to
present himself as a successful self-made man. He is
where he is because of the sacrifices made by his
forebears. He disrespects every Harriet Tubman, Nat
Turner, Frederick Douglas, "Toby," and millions of
others who suffered the cruelty of the institution of
slavery. That's not making excuses, that's honoring
the people who withstood this pain and suffereing for
us. Even John Brown, a white abolitionist, had a rev
erence and a disdain for how American slaves were
treated.
Now, today, we have a "black" bigot who dares to
speak disparagingly about Muslims and his own peo
ple calling President Obama a Muslim. Or, at least
not acknowledging that the President is an American
of Christian faith.
Winston-Salem will get to see Dr. Ben up close
next week. We know we'll not get a chance to ask
any questions given the folk he has surrounded him
self with like Vernon Robinson. Remember our local
black Republican councilman? He works for Dr.
Ben, as does former B&C Associates of High Point's
Armstrong Williams. There are plenty of other black
Americans who can smell the cash of being a lackey
for the Republican Party.
We're neither trying to inflame or create animos
ity about the party. We're just stating the facts. What
do you call someone who is fat with cash and the
means and access to get it, yet refuses to allow the
poor a decent wage? A party that is stuffed with guar
anteed government contracts yet refuses to give a fair
share to minority contractors? Or, won't accept
$500,000 for medical aid to the poor and elderly?
Even the homeless and the hungry get cut out of
everything when these folk finish chopping and cut
ting the nation's budget. All to make a black presi
dent look like a failure. And, to see black men sup
porting this insanity is enough to make one ill.
However, for everyone there is a day of reckon
ing. May not be tomorrow but always and for every
one there is a day of reckoning. Watch out Dr. Ben ...
yours will come too!
ONE*]
VOIR 1
BEST'I
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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
64-year marriage
leads minister
to reflect on
who he is
To the Editor:
(Rev. and Mrs. Humphrey cele
brated 64 years of blissful marriage
on Sept. 9,2015.)
It's interesting how thoughts
occur and just will not let go. This
morning was one of those times with
me. It could have been because I was
thinking of a certain person who was
much about the "I Am's" in a person
al way.
Then I thought about the "Real I
Am, That I Am." From that point, the
questions and answers flowed about
who I am.
I found it amazing, f will try to
provide some points of view about
Who I Am.
I am Benjamin Franklin
Humphrey Jr., initially - the son of a
Share-Cropper, Benjamin Humphrey,
Sr. and Margaret Humphrey of
Richlands, N.C. The fourth bom of
nine children; second birth, a child of
God. Nationality an African
American. I am unity; body and soul.
I am male, straight.
I am a preacher/pastor for 61
years as of July 4,2015; superannuat
ed itinerant elder of The African
Methodist Episcopal Church, with
the rights to (A) Preach the Gospel,
(B) administer the Holy Communion,
(C) Baptize, (D) Perform marriages
and eulogize the dead.
A poet and songwriter. See book
of poetry and the National Library of
Poetry: "View from The Edge," a
hardback book.
I am the author of the book, "Stay
Focused." A master barber and of the
N.C. Board of Barbers Examiners of
Raleigh, N.C. (Graduate of Harris
Barber College, Raleigh, N.C.) A
master mason, a member of Omega
Lodge No. 292, Richlands, N.C.
A member of the NAACP, mak
ing democracy work most of my
adult life. An entrepreneur, in the
states of N.C. and Florida; owner of
The Humphrey's Quality Barber
Shop; a licensed operator of vehicle
in the state of N.C.
I am a chaplain/devotional leader
of the Ministers' Conference of
Winston-Salem and Vicinity.
Graduate of the Theological
Department of Kittrell College,
Kittrell, N.C. An honored VIP mem
ber of Cambridge Who's Who. I am a
certified member of St. James African
Methodist Episcopal Church, 1501 N.
Patterson Ave., Winston-Salem, N.C.,
where I finalized my pastorate prior
to retirement, now associate to the
pastor.
The conclusion of the whole mat
ter, is this: As a man of 81 years old,
I acknowledge the fact, that without
God, I am nothing. All hail the Power
of Jesus' Name.
Rev. Benjamin F. Humphrey Jr.
As Rev. and Mrs. Humphrey cel
ebrate their anniversary, Rev.
Humphrey says he is the husband to
Pearlie Pollock Humphrey. He is a
father of five, with four offsprings
who lived to be adults. He is a grand
father and great-grandfather several
times over. He is a father-in-law of
three wonderful daughters-in-law. "I
am blessed by God through Jesus
Christ, Our Savior to be the said
owner(s) with Pearlie P. Humphrey of
123 Northwoods Circle, Winston
Salem, N.C.," he says.
To the Pitts:
Thank you
for giving
me a chance
To the Editor:
I send both my heartfelt congratu
lations and thanks to Ernie and Elaine
Pitt for more than 40 years of provid
ing this community, and in fact, the
whole area with the Winston-Salem
Chronicle.
I send congratulations mostly for
staying the course and for persever
ing with a small, family-owned busi
ness. That feat alone is commendable
over the span of 40+ years.
Congratulations on representing
Winston-Salem's black community
well and professionally beyond the
city limits evidenced by the many,
many National Newspaper Publishers
Association awards you brought
home. Congratulations on sidestep
ping the sticks and stones no doubt
hurled at you as you dared to begin a
news agency that challenged the
mainstream.
But I also want to send my bound
less thanks to you. Thank you for giv
ing a 25-year old eager journalist the
opportunity to do something she
loved at The Chronicle. Thanks to
you, I had the privilege of cutting my
journalistic teeth under the tutelage of
Allen Johnson and Angela Wright not
to mention the added benefit of
watching gifted
pros like Robin
Adams and pho
tographer James
Parker at work.
In journalism, it
just doesn't
come much bet
ter.
Thank you
for challenging
all of us to tell
the untold story -
to look for so many important stones
from the perspective of voices not
always heard. I am grateful that my
job at The Chronicle allowed me to
meet and get to know some of this
community's very best - like Mrs.
Louise Wilson, Shedrick Adams,
Florence Corpening and Dee Smith
and the Revs. Mendez and Eversley -
just to name a few. Thank you for the
fact that my tennis pal, Julie Perry,
and 1 frequently enjoy reminiscing
about our "Chronicle days."
Thank you Ernie and Elaine for
having the guts to start something so
important and to see it through. And
thank you for giving me a chance to
be a part of crucial journalism that
helped shaped the Winston-Salem we
now know.
Thank you and congratulations.
Well done.
Robin Barksdale Ervin
Humphreys
Ervin
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